Folding-machine.



J. D. MORGAN. FOLDING MAcHiNB. APPLICATION FILED APB. 5, 1911.

1,029,140.. Patented June11,1912.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

J. D. MORGAN.

FOLDING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED APE. 5, 1911.

Patented June 11, 191.2.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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J. D. MORGAN.

FOLDING MACHINE.

APPLKIOATION FILED ulm, 1911.

LQQJG, Patented June 11, 1912.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

6| 154 *fil 91981 @Y 57 52d 4864 www! 1 J. D. MORGAN.

FOLDING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED APB.5, 1911.

sTaTns PATENT oFFicE.

.roHN n. MORGAN, or SUMMIT,- Nnw JERSEY, AssieNon 'ro Goss PRINTING Panss COMPANY, 0F CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION 0F ILLINOIS."

' FOLDING-MACHINE.

Specification of Letters iatent. Application filed April 5, 1911. Serial No. 619,157.

ratentedJune 11, 1912.

To all whom/.it may concern Acitizen of the United States, residing at Summit, in the county of Union and State of New Jersey, have invented new and useful Improvements in Folding-Machines, of which the followin is a specification.

The invention re ates to folding machines and more especially to machines in which printed sheets are associated, and folded t0 produce a magazine or pamphlet.

Objects of the invention are to provide a novel mechanism which will fold sheets at high speed; to provide for folding and caring jaws which may operate within the limits of the speed of such mechanism and at the same time serve the machine suiiiciently rapidly to enable it to run at the top speed of the press; to provide novel folding jaws and associated mechanism which will simplify the construction of the machine, and to provide such mechanism which will deliver the product in a convenient and suitable manner. These and other objects of invention will in part be obvious and Will in part more fully appear herein.

The invention consists in the novel parts,

arrangements, constructions, combinations and improvements, herein shown and described.

The accompanying drawings. referred to herein and forming a part hereof, illustrate one embodiment of the invention, thesame serving in connection with the description herein to explain the principles of the invention.

' 0f the drawings: Figure 1 is a side elevation (withthe vfront frame removed for the sake of clearness) of a machine constructed in accordance with the principles of invention; Fig. 2is an end elevation looking at Fig. 1 from the right; Fig. 3 is a sectional plan on the line A- B of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows; Fig. 4 is a fragmentary plan, on an enlarged scale, of the folding jaw and the folding blade duringthe infolding of the sheet band; Fig. 5 is an elevation, partly diagrammatic, showing a different arrangement of the mechanism.

Referring to the accompanying drawin s, illustrated by way of example, one embo iment of the invention, suitable means are shown for feeding in a web a'. In the embodied. form fthe web is shown fed in between tapes 3 and 4, running. over rollers 1 and 2, suitably mounted in the machine frame. severing devices for the purpose of severing it into sheets. The severing devices are illustrated as opposed rotary cutters comprising disks 5 and 6 mounted respectively upon shafts 7 and 8 mounted in the machine frame and suitably driven. Each set of disks, respectively, carries one a knife 9 and the other a knife 10, which knives coperate to cut the web into sheets.

In the present embodiment successive sheet lengths are collected or associated, and for this purpose there is employed in the illustrated machine a three-way collecting cylinder 2() carried upon a shaft 21, journaled upon the machine frame and driven in a suitable manner. The collecting cylinder 20 is provided with sets of grippers 22, 23 and 24 for collecting the sheets and releasing them after the proper number of sheets has been collected or associated. Suitable means will be provided for opening and closing these sets of grippers at the proper time to take and release the sheet or sheets.

Means are provided for associating additional sheets with those collected from the web or webs a, and means are shown herein for feeding both a cover and an insert. In the embodied form thereof, tapes 25 and 26 are provided, running over series of'roll- The web .'v is directed to suitable ers 27 and 28 for feeding a sheet to the collecting cylinder 20. This sheet may he taken on the collecting cylinder after the sheet bundle has been stripped therefrom and before the first sheet of the new bundle is taken, the sheet fed in between the tapes 25 and 26 being thus between the collecting cylinder and the bundle of sheets. With the machine folding in the manner illustrated in Fig. 1, this fed-in sheet y would constitute an insert. The end of the web running down between the rotary cutters is guided by sets 30 and 31 of throat or guide bars supported, respectively, upon rods 32 and 33 carried upon the machine frame. Suitable means are rovided for insuring the bundle of sheets eaving the cylinder at the right time and in the right position, -and for this purpose stripper blades 34 are provided which will move inwardly just' in time to pass beneath the frontend of a group of sheets which has been completed and is to be progressed forward through the machine to be subjected to the next succeeding operation.

Means are provided for feeding an additional sheet to be associated with a bundle of sheets upon the opposite side thereof from the additional sheet 'y previously fed in. For this purpose tapes 35 and 36 are provided, in the present embodiment, running over series of rolls 3'! and 38. Suitable gages or front sto s, etc., may be provided in connection wit each of these sheet feeding devices but areomitted from the drawings for the sake of clear-ness. In this embodiment this sheet is not fed from the collecting cylinder but into the pathway of the bundle of sheets along which they travel afterleaving the collecting cylinder. A series of guide fingers 39 and 40 may be provided to direct the sheet bundle and theextra fed sheet both into the proper path of travel.` With the machine arranged for folding in the manner illustrated in Fig. l, the second additional sheet a would constitute the cover of the magazine or pamphlet. Suitable holding tapes may be provided about the collecting cylinder to hold the sheets in place as required. l

l In the present embodiment means are provided for stitching or stapling the bundle of sheets and the cover and insert, or any of them, together prior to folding. In the embodied form there are shown two stationary stitchers 41 and 42.V mounted respectively upon supporting rods 43 and 44 carried upon the machine frame and actuated ina suitable manner. The clenehing dies 45 and 46 are shown on the opposite side of the path of travel of the sheets. A suitable stop or gage is provided for arrest-ing and registering the sheets in position for stitching, and holding them at rest during the.

stitching operation, the stop being then withdrawn to permit the stitched bundle of sheets to progress forward to the folding position. The stop or gage is shown as a blade 47 mounted upon rods 48 and 49 working in apertured guide lugs 50 and 5 1 formed on the machine frame. are provided at their other end with cam rolls 52 and 53 in coperative relation with cams 54 and 55 fixed upon the cam shaft 56 which is suitably journaled at '57 and 58 upon the machine frame. Springs serve to keep cam rolls 52 and 53 to their cams. The shaft 56 is driven by the miter gears 59 from the shaft 60.

Suitable guiding and progressing means for the sheets along their pathway are provided, said means comprising a series of tapes 61 running over rolls 62 and 63, and a These rods.

ries of guide bars 64 upon ene side of the pathway of the sheets, and a series of tapes 65 running over the rollers 37 and over rollers 56, an also guide bars 67 upon the other side of the path of travel .of the sheets same length, certain of them reaching only to the folding station, while others 'runbeyond said station, the urpose being to feed Y the sheets forward wit certainty and speed and yet to permit freedom of movement in the folding od.

In the form of folding mechanism pro- 3 vided by the invention the bundle of sheets is folded and carried away by the folding jaws and a longitudinal rotation of the foldingv jaws relatively to their carrier is imparted, and in the embodied form this ro-.

ered horizont-ally or fiat at the delivery po-v sition by reason of such longitudinal rotation of the jaws.

In accordance with one feature of t-he invention, and in the embodied form, a plurality of folding jaws coming successivelyl to one folding-in position or station, and cooperating there with one folding blade and passing thence successively to one delivery position or station are provided.y In said embodied form a hollow pedestal 80 is formed on the machine frame bearing with- A in itself a; vertical shaft 81. Projecting from said shaft are four arms, or spiders 82. Each of these spiders terminates in a shouldered portion 83 at the shaft 81. A

cylindrical sleeve 84 is rotatably mounted upon each arm or spider 82, and is held in position by a pin 85 fixed upon said spider engaging a slot 86 in the sleeve 84 by means of a strong spiral spring 87 fastened at one end to the shoulder 83, as shown at 88, and

at the other end to the sleeve 84, as shown at 89. The sleeve 84 terminates in, 4or has' connected thereto, the shaft or axis 90 of the gripper jaws 91 and 92. The jaw 91 is fixed to the shaft 90, the jaw 92 being mounted to swing upon the shaft 90 but being held normally closed by the spring 93. Fixed to the jaw 92 is the trip arm 104 provided wit-h a cam roll or ball 105.

Suitable means for opening the jaw 92i against its spring at the folding in position and also at the delivery position vare provided. At the folding-in station or position, the cam piece 106 is rotatably mounted upon the machine frame, and is driven' by miter gears 107 from the shaft 108, which 70 These tapes and guide bars are not all of the is suitably connected to t-he driving shaft of the machine. At the delivery position a stationary cam 109 is provided upon which the roll 105 rides to open the folding jaws.

In the present embodiment the rotatory movement of the folding jaws is intermittent, and to effect this movement, suitable vmeans are provided, the embodied form i plate 110 stationary until the pin 115 engages one of the slots 111 when the plate 110, and with it the shaftI 81 and the folding jaws carried theieby, receive a quarter rotation. rflic shaft 112 is driven by the miter gears 110 upon the shaft 117.

1n the present embodiment the folding blade is moved forward to tuck the sheet bundle into the opened folding jaws, and the folding blade 120 is shown carried upon rods 121 vand 122 mounted and guided, respectively, in apertured lugs 123 and 124 upon the machine frame. rlhe rods 121 and 122 are provided, respectively, with cam rolls 125 and 126 which cooperate with corresponding cams 127 and 128 upon the rotating shaft G0. Springs 129 and 130 serve to hold the cam wheels to their cams. rlhe shaft G0 is driven by miter gears 131 upon,

the shaft 132.

rilhe folding jaws are longitudinally rotated by suitable means, the embodied form thereof comprising an arm 133 fixed to each of the sleeves c3-,1 and carrying a cam roll 13-1. rStationary upon the machine frame is provided a corresponding arm 1235 so shaped and located as to longitudinally rotate the folding jaws abouttheir carrier. x

The manner of operation of the herein described mechanism will doubtless be understood `in detail from the foregoing descrip-v tion, but a brief rsum thereof will now be given.

One or more webs are run down between the. rollers 1 and 2, between the disks 5 and G, and between the guide bars 30 and 31, the end of the web or webs being grasped by one of the sets of grippers on t-he collecting cylinder 20. If it be assumed that an" Insert is being fed, a sheet lt] has been previously run between theitapes 25 and 26 to said grippers. As the end of the web is grasped by the gripper on the cylinder 20, the rotary cutters 9 and 10 sever the sheet from the web. The end of the web then rims down between the guides 30 and 31 to be grasped by the next gripper upon the cylinder 20. If the printing cylinders are four plates or sheet-s around, the cylinder 20 will associate four sheets or four groups of sheets (dependent upon the `number of webs run) at each set of grippers. Then the full number of sheets for the bundle is completed the stripper 31, acting when the grippers are opened, will take the bundle from the cylinder and the bundle will be. directed downwardly along the vertical path of travel to the stitchers. At about the sametime the cover sheet e is fed into this pathway, and travels down with the bundle of sheets until they are all brought to rest against the stop 47. They here receive accurate, independent register prior to stitching. Afterthe stitching operation is performed, the stop 1T is withdrawn and the stitched bundle of sheets a passes downward to the folding position. One of the pairs of folding jaws 91 and 92 just at this instant comes to rest at the center of the stitched sheet bundle and along the line of the stitches, and the folding blade 120 forces the bundle of sheetsin between the open folding jaws. The jaws, which have been held open by the cam 106, now snap together and the pair of jaws with the folded sheets therein move toward the delivery station. In the next quarter turn another set of jaws is at the folding position, or if only two sets of aws are used the rest will be at the end of the halfturn. As the jaws swing around carrying the folded pamphlet a. vertically therein, the cam wheel 13st will engage. with. the cam 135 and the set of jaws will be rotated longitudinally of itself on its carrier until the pamphlet or magazine a! is Vin the horizontal position just over the delivery belt. The cam 109 now acts upon the trip 101 to open the jaws and release the magazine upon the delivery belt. A suitably curved or otherwise shaped table may befprovided atthe delivery position, and along the approach thereto, if d esired, to insure the correct positioning or laying on of the completed magazine or main principles of the invention and without sacrificing its chief advantages.

lVhat I do claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. A folding machine including in combination a pair of folding jaws, means for folding a sheet thereinto, and means for longitudinally rotating said jaws to deliver the folded sheet in a position transverse to that in which the sheet was folded into the jaws.

2. A folding machine including in combination a pair of folding jaws traveling between a folding-in and a delivery position, means for folding a sheet into said jaws at the folding-in position, means for longitudinally rotatin said jaws as they travel toward the dellvery position, and means for causing said jaws to deliver the folded sheet at the delivery position.

3. A folding machine including in combination a air of folding jaws traveling between a olding-in and adelivery'posltion, means for folding a sheet into the jaws at the folding-in position, and means for rotating said jaws longitudinally to deliver the sheet in a position transverse to that in which the sheet was folded into the jaws.

4. A folding machine including in combination apair of folding jaws, movable between a vertical and a. horizontal position considered longitudinally of the jaws, and means for folding a sheet into the jaws in one of said positions and means for releasing the folded sheet from the jaws in the other of said positions. .f

5. A folding machine including in combination a pair of intermittently traveling folding jaws traveling between Aand coming to rest at both a folding position and a delivery position, said folding jaws being longitudinally rotatable, means for feeding a sheet along a vertical path to said jaws, means for folding the sheet into the jaws while they are at rest at the feeding position, means for rotating the pair of jaws into a horizontal position as they travel toward the delivery position, means for causing the jaws to release the sheet at the delivery position, and a horizontal conveyer for' receiving and conveying away Vthe sheets froln said folding jaws.

6. A folding machine including in combination a pair of folding jaws rotatable longitudinally between a. vertical and horizontal position, means for feeding a sheet along a vertical path to said jaws, means for-folding the. sheet. into said jaws, and means for rotating said jaws into a horizontal position to deliver the sheet.

7 A folding machine including in combination a pair of folding jaws rotatable longitudinally between a vertical and horizontal position, means for feeding a sheet along a vertical path to said jaws, means for folding the sheet into said jaws, means for rotating said jaws into a horizontal position to deliver the sheet, and a horizontal conveyer for receiving and conveying away the sheets from said folding jaws.

8. A vfolding machine including in combi-w j nation a traveling carrier, a plurality of pairs of folding jaws mounted on said carrier, a folding station and a delivery station, means for intermittently moving said carrier to progress the pairs of folding jaws between said folding station and delivery station and yto present simultaneously one pair of folding jaws at rest at the folding station and another pair of folding jaws at rest at the *delivery station, a folding blade coperating with the folding jaws at the folding station, and means for causing the folding jaws to release the folded sheets vat the delivery station.

9. A folding machine including in combination a traveling carrier, a plurality of pairs of folding jaws mounted on said carrier, a folding stat-ion and a delivery station, and means for longitudinally rotating a pair of jaws whereby the folded sheet may be delivered in a position transverse to that in which it was folded into said jaws.

10. A folding machine including in combination a traveling carrier, a plurality of pairs of folding jaws mounted on said carrie-r, a folding station and a delivery station, one pair of folding jaws being presented at the folding` position when another pair of folding jaws is at the delivery position, and means for rotating a pair of jaws longitudinally to deliver the sheet in a position transverse to that in which it is folded in.

11. A lfolding machine including in combination a. traveling carrier, a plurality of pairs of folding jaws mounted on said earrier, a folding station and a delivery station, onel pair of folding jaws being presentedat the. folding,r position when another pair offolding jaws is at the delivery position, and means for rotating a pair of jaws longit-udinally while traveling from the folding to the delivery position.

12. A folding machine including in combination means for delivering a bundle of sheets into a straight vertical pathway, means for directing said sheets along said straight vertical pathway, a mechanism located intermediately along said verticalv pathway for operating upon the sheets, folding means located farther down said pathway than said first mentioned mechanism,

means for arresting the sheets in position to be operated upon by said mechanism and for releasing them to permit them to proceed along said pathway to said folding means to be folded thereby.

13. A folding machine including in combination, means for deliverin a bundle of sheets into a straight vertlcal pathway, means for directing said sheets along said straight vertical pathway, stitching mechanism located intermediately along said pathway, foldingViv .means alon said pathway below said stitching mec anism, and means for arresting said sheets in position to be stitched by said mechanism and for permitting the sheets to proceed along said pathwayto the folding position after they have been stitched.

14. A folding machine including in combination means for feeding sheets downwardly along a 'vertical pathway, means for arresting said sheets in said pathway, means for stitching said sheets while so arrested, mgans for folding said sheets in said pathway, and means for delivering the folded sheets horizontally from said pathway.

15. A folding machine including in combination means for feeding sheets along a vert-ical pathway, means for folding said sheets longitudinally of said pathway, and means for delivering the folded sheets horizontally.

16. A folding machine including in combinat-ion a painof folding jaws mounted upon an axis to open and close, and a support for said axis upon which it is longitudinally rotatable. I

17. A foldig machine including in combination a pair of folding aw mounted upon an axis to open and close, asupport for said axis upon which it is longitudinally rotatable, and devices for opening said folding jaws in a plurality of positions to which they are so rotated.

18. A folding machine including in combination a pair of folding jaws mounted upon an axis to openand close, a Support for said axis upon which it is longitudinally rotatable, a folding blade coperat-ing with said pair of jaws to fold a sheet thereinto, and a delivery device for receiving the 4folded sheet from said pair of jaws after they have been so rotated about their axis.

19. A folding machine including in combination a pair of folding jaws mounted upon an axis, to open and close, -a support for said axis upon which it is longitudinally `rotatable, and means for intermittently moving said support. i

20. A folding machine including in combination a pair of folding jaws mounted upon an axis to open and close, a support for said axis upon which it is longitudinally rotatable, lmeans for intermittently moving said support, means for opening and closing said pair of folding jaws, and a moving folding blade for folding 'a sheet into said jaws while they are open and at rest.

21. A folding machine including in combination a pair of folding jaws mounted upon an axis to open and close, a support for said axis upon which it is longitudinally rotatable, and a foldingblade4 movable to fold a sheet into said pair of jaws.

22. A folding machine including in combination a pair of folding jaws mounted upon an axis to open and close, a support for said axis upon which it is longitudinally rotatable, means for opening and closing said pair of jaws and a folding lbini@ movable to fold a sheet into said jaws while they are o en.

23. A folding machine including in combination a pair of folding jaws mounted upon an axis to open and close, a support forV said axis upon which it is longitudinally ro' vta'table, and a folding blade cooperating with said jaws to fold a sheet thereinto.

24. A folding machine includin in combination a plurality of pairs of fol ing jaws,

each pair mounted upon an axis to open and close, a support upon which -each pair of jaws is rotatable longitudinally of said-axis, and means for folding a sheetinto a pair of folding jaws.

25. A folding machine including in combination a plurality of pairs of folding jaws, each pair mounted upon an axis to open and close, a support upon which each pair of jaws is rotatable longitudinally of said axis independently lof any other -pair of said v-folding jaws, and means for folding a sheet into a pair of folding jaws.

26. A folding machine includinA in come.

bination a plurality of pairs of fol ing jaws, each pair mounted upon an axis to open and close, a support upon which each pair of jaws is rotatable longitudinally of said axis inde endently of any other pair of said folding jaws, means for folding a sheet into a pair of folding jaws, means for intermittently moving said support between a folding and delivery station, and means for rotating a pair .of jaws while moving from the folding to the delivery station.

27. A folding machine including in combination a plurality of pairs of foldi'ngjaws,

each pair mounted upon an axis to open and.

ber, an arm and a sleeve one connected to said rotatable member and the other to said pair offjaws, and a spring connecting said arm and sleeve,

29. A folding machine including in combination a pair of folding jaws openable and closable upon an axis, a rotatable member, an arm and a sleeve one connected to said rotatable member and the other to said pair of jaws centrally of their length, and a spring connecting said arm and sleeve.

30. A folding machine including in combination a pair of folding jaws openable and closable upon an axis, a rotatable member,

32.` A folding machine including inconf-V bination a pair of folding jaws openable and closable upon an axis, a rotatable member,

-an arm and a sleeve one connected to said rotatable member and the other to said pair of jaws, a spring connecting said armand sleeve, and means'for rotating said arm and sleeve relatively to each other against the action of said spring.

33. A folding machine including in combination a pair of folding jaws openable and closable upon an axis, a rotatable member, an arm anda sleeve one connected to-said rotatable member and the other to said pair of jaws, aspring connecting said arm and sleeve, and means for rotating said arm and sleeve relatively to each other a ainst the action of said spring by reason o the rotation of said rotatable member.

34. A folding machine including in combination a pair of folding aws openable and closable upon an axis,a rotatable member,

an arm and a sleeve one connected to said rotatable member and the other to said pair of jaws, a spring connecting said arm and sleeve, means for rotating said arm and sleeve relatively to each other against the action of said spring, and devices for cans-- ing said jaws to open and close in a plurality of positions.

35. A folding machine including in combination, means for delivering a lbundle of sheets l into a straight vertical pathway, means for directing said bundle of fiat sheets along said straight Vvertical pathway, a stationary stitching .mechanism located intermediately along said pathwa for flat stitching the sheet bundle, a fol ing mechanism along said pathway below said stitching mechanism, and means for arresting said sheets in registered position to be stitched by said stitching mechanism and for then permitting said sheets to proceed along said pathway to said folding position.

36. A folding machine including in combination, means for deliverin Va bundle of sheets 'into a straight .vertical pathway,

means for directing said bundle of flat sheets alongA said straight vertical pathway, a stationary stitching mechanism located intermediately along said pathway for fiat stitching the sheet bundle, a folding mechanism along said pathway below said stitching t mechanism, and means for arresting said sheets in registered position to be stitched by saidy stitching mechanism and for then permitting said sheets to proceed along said pathway to said folding position, said folding mechanism being located and adapted to fold the stitchedsheets at the stitches.

37. A folding machine including in combination, means for delivering abundle of sheets into a straight vertical pathway,

means for directing said bundle of fiat sheets alongsaid straight vertical pathway, a stationary stitching mechanism located intermediately. along said pathway for flat stitching the sheet bundle, a folding mechanism along said pathway below said stitching mechanism, and means for arresting said sheets in registered position to be stitched by said stitching mechanism and for then permitting said sheets to proceed along said pathway to said folding position, said folding mechanism being located and adapted to fold the stitched sheets at the stitches, and to deliver the folded sheets without engaging them except at said fold.

38. A folding machine including in ycombination, means for delivering a 'bundle of sheets into a straight vertical pathway, means for directing said bundle of flat sheets along said straight vertical pathway, a stationary stitching mechanism located intermediately along said pathway for flat stitching the sheet bundle, a folding mechanism along said pathway below said 'stitching mechanism, and means for arresting said sheets in registered position to be stitched by said stitching mechanism and for then permitting said sheets to proceed along said pathway to said folding position, said. folding mechanism being locatedand adapted to fold the stitched sheets at the stitches, while in vertical position and means for rotating said folding means while carrying said folded sheets whereby the sheets are delivered horizontally.

Iny testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence Vof two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN D. MORGAN.

Witnesses Rosa MENK, LoUELLA F. LI'rrLn. 

